Kaleo has stamped himself as a colt to follow after breaking his maiden in just his second start at Caulfield on Saturday, giving trainer Ciaron Maher and the Southern Cross Syndications team early Spring Carnival aspirations.

The son of Churchill had placed fourth on debut in the Mornington Sires (1200m) and relished the step to 1400m in the $150,000 Remembering Margaret McDonald Handicap to score impressively.

Jack Turnbull, Maher’s assistant, said the stable was encouraged by the early success and now has options to consider.

“He’s got the makings of a nice colt who should get over a little but further,” Turnbull said.

“You’d love to be thinking about spring with a colt of this calibre now. Whether we go one more and keep him at 1400 – there’s an option on the 17th of May at Flemington – but if not we can wait and the main thing is we got today out of the way.”

Kaleo, a $150,000 buy from the Inglis Classic, will now be assessed as a potential contender for the $3 million Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m).

The Southern Cross team is enjoying a purple patch, highlighted earlier in the week by Duke Of Bedford’s Warrnambool double in the Brierly Steeplechase and Grand Annual Steeplechase.

Jockey Ethan Brown partnered Kaleo and said the colt showed ability but still has some development ahead.

He jumped slowly but settled well and charged home to defeat $2.70 betting sites favourite Prestige Ole by 1-3/4 lengths, with Kakkoii ($3.50) third.

“He got away with it today in a small field, but we do need to get on top of it (slow start) because he is a nice horse and I can see him running in better races – he’s going to furnish into a lovely three-year-old,” Brown said.

“It worked out well; the field came back to us, we made up ground without using up too much petrol and we were in striking distance at the right time.

“What I liked was when I asked for him, he was right there for me, so it was a good sign going forward.”